New sensor helps reduce costs in handling blueberries

28/01/2016

Although automation in agriculture is often synonymous with efficiency, this has not been the case with the harvesting and processing of berries. However, that is close to change.

Automated berry processing systems generally damage the fruit, resulting in losses for producers and sellers. To counter this, a research team led by the University of Georgia is developing a sensor system to help harvest and process blueberries at high speed with low shrinkage.

The second generation of the impact recording device in berries (BIRD) is one of the projects that the Department of Agriculture of the United States, through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), is supporting.

"The blueberries will interact with several machines contacting surfaces that create bumps and reduce the quality of the fruit"says Dr. Changying Li, a professor at the University of Georgia School of Engineering. "The BIRD sensor will help farmers deliver higher quality fruit with fewer hits during harvest, help intermediaries reduce shocks during handling and transportation, and allow consumers to buy higher quality blueberries at a lower price. given the higher efficiency of the harvest ".

BIRD is a wireless device that collects data that is similar in size, weight and shape to a blueberry. BIRD is put in the process of manipulation, where the sensor is subjected to the same mechanical stress as a real blueberry. BIRD on the road measures and records all the mechanical impacts it encounters and saves them on a chip.

The team of 14 researchers from 10 institutions includes expertise in engineering, microbiology, plants, economics and social science. "We believe it is necessary to take a holistic approach to take care of the demands and challenges facing the blueberry industry"says Li.

Although the team is focusing on the blueberry industry in the United States, they know that BIRD is not only limited to that crop. "It is the first of its kind in the study of small fruits"said Li, adding that "Not only can it be used in the study of blueberries, but also in cranberries, cherries and olives. It has aroused great interest from the industry not only in the United States, but also in South America and Australia. ".

Source: Fruit Portal / With information from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)